A Search For The Unknown

The Arrival

When it came time to leave Asher met his father by the door. Eric was dressed in a nice dress shirt and dress pants.

“Why are you so dressed up? Trying to look good for the representative or do you have a date after this?” Asher asked his father with a bit of a laugh.

“I’m just trying to dress for success, and I have no interest in dating. Your mother would curse me for sure, pulse any woman at the grand James hotel has too expensive a taste for me.”

“Good point, let's get going so we're not late.”

As they drove out of town Asher began thinking about their final destination. The Grand James Hotel is far out in the woods up in the mountains a good forty miles from the nearest town. It is a very fancy hotel that is used by the wealthy as a place far from the prying eyes of the public. It has a checkered history of problems, but has  always been owned by the same family since it opened a hundred and fifty years ago. The family isn’t well known outside of the people who stay there regularly. The hotel has a lot of strange things happening at it. And a lot of people have disappeared in the woods around the hotel. About five or six people a year. Every time it happens they search for the people but rarely find any signs of the person having been out there. Asher watched out the window and started to see a building in the woods in the distance.

“Hey dad slow down, when did they build such a large building out here?”

Eric looked out the window in the direction that Asher was now pointing.

“I don’t know, maybe the Winters International Corporation has already bought and started building out here.”

“Wasn’t it just last month that they were said to start looking in the area for a site to start building their next factory?” 

“Yes I think that it was about a month ago that I read about it in the newspaper, maybe they just had all the permits to start and a builder team to build it they just need a spot.”

“Yeah maybe, slow down so we can see how much they have done already.”

Eric slowed down so they could see how much of the site was already built.  They had a large fence around the whole area and they could see one large building for sure and what looked to be a few small buildings behind it though it was hard to see everything since it was far off the road behind the tree line. They could see some people around the factory as well, though they looked like guards. 

“Why would a factory in the middle of the woods need guards?” Asher asked his dad, looking at him confused.

“Well bears for one and we both know the kinds of creatures out in this woods.”

“Still it seems odd to have guards at a factory, but you make a good point it is impressive how fast they got the building done.”

“Yeah it is impressive but I guess that's what you can do when you have the kind of money that the Winters International Corporation have. But you need to stop worrying so much about things that don’t affect you  Asher. It doesn’t matter how fast they get their factory built, they probably need the factory up and running quickly so that they can produce more of what they make that they are selling.”

“I guess but still.”

“Worrying so much isn’t good for you. Asher it is unhealthy and can cause you health problems. You are far too young to be such a worrier. But, I guess you have been this way since you were little. I have always wondered if your mother hadn't passed when you were so young, if you would have grown up to worry less and been more of a child rather than growing to be so mature at such a young age. I guess we will never know.”

“Yeah.”

“You know you look just like her, except your eyes, you have my eyes. I’m sure she would be so proud of you. She was a strong witch too. She was so happy when she knew you had gotten her magical powers too.”

“I know you tell me every chance you get.”

“Well I don’t want you to forget how much your mom loved you and how proud she would be of you. I never want you to question that or forget it.”

“I know dad.” 

Asher looked out the window at the night sky following the full moon through the trees wondering how different life would be if his mother was still alive. 

They drove for another hour and reached the Grand James Hotel. The Grand James Hotel is a beautiful Victorian style hotel, it was painted black with large stone statues all over the grounds and stained glass windows in the front of the hotel. Eric parked the truck near a statue of a woman smiling looking upward at the moon. The door of the hotel was large and massive with a dragon door knocker. The door also had a red stain glass window with gold inlaid around the window. The lobby of the hotel was wood with cravings in every inch of the walls, each wall told a story of dark and medieval times. Stories of dragons burning down towns and attacking castles. Stories of werewolves attacking women. All the stories are of creatures attacking humans.

“They have an interesting choice in what kind of stories they wanted to be carved in their walls” Asher said as he ran his fingers down one of the carvings.

“I agree with you there but the carvings are amazing though. We need to go to the front desk to get permission to go to the meeting area.”

“We don’t already have permission to get into the meeting place?” 

“Kind of we have to check in at the desk to prove who we are and that we have a meeting with the Winters International Corporation representative, you know how paranoid rich people are about poor people coming into their fancy places that they think we don’t belong in.” 

“Yeah, I guess it's not the first time we have had to prove who we are to get to even talk to a client about a job.”

As they walked to the desk they passed a large fireplace with a giant bat carved into it with red eyes. Inside the fireplace Asher thought he saw a man with red eyes carved into it. As they reached the front desk an older man with glasses stood behind it typing something out on a computer. The older man had white hair and light brown almost golden colored eyes. He wore a grey suit with a gold name tag that had the name Alexander engraved into it. Alexander did not seem to be happy to see them.

“I’m sorry gentlemen but I doubt you could afford a room here and I very much doubt you have business here. The town just down the hill about forty miles that way has a motel 9 that I’m sure you would find to suit your budget much better.” Alexander pointed out the window back down the mountain as he said the last bit, only looking up at them from the computer for a brief moment.

Eric smirked at the man in a most eriated way. “Well that is where you would be wrong my good sir, we do have business here. We are the Franks, I’m Eric Frank and this is my son Asher Frank. We have a meeting with the representative Thomas from the Winters International Corporation. When I spoke with him earlier today he said to be here at ten and to let you know when we arrived and that you would show us up to the meeting hall.” 

Alexander looked up at Eric clearly irritated with being spoken to in such a way by a man he deemed to be lesser than him. “Awe yes I remember hearing about the meeting, but I had expected someone more appropriate for the job for such a large corporation. They must have picked you on short notice. Either way there has been a change of plans, the meeting hall is closed to guests at this hour so you will be meeting with Thomas in his room. His room is number 1331, it is the last room on the left down the north wing of the hotel, go up the stairs and to the left and turn right when that hall ends.”

“Well thank you Alexander and by the way I thought a fancy hotel like this would have a better staff, I understand now why this place is barely able to keep its head above water, if you're the first face people see when they come in here they must think that all common decency has died. Even rich people expected staff to have manners even this poor man knows that.”

“He’s right Alexander, you should be more polite, you never know who someone might be friends with or who they might be related to.” Said a  tall man with blond hair who walked over to shake Asher's hand.

“You’re Asher Frank aren’t you? Your Sarah’s Son. Your mother was a childhood friend of mine, I was so sorry to hear what happened to her. I’m so sorry for your loss. Oh where are my manners? My name is William Grimm. It’s very nice to finally meet you, Asher.” 

“It’s nice to meet you too sir” Asher shook the man's hand and smiled at him, not quite sure about the man.

“Well I better let you go so you're not late for your meeting but don’t you worry dear Asher we will meet again soon.”

“Okay.” Asher and Erick walked away from the man and up toward the stairs and once they were far enough away that Asher was sure the man couldn’t hear him he asked his father about the man. “Do you know who that man is?”

“Yes, your mothers family belong to a coven ran by that mans family.”

“Really why have I never been to the coven then?”

“Because your mother left the coven and was disowned by her family for marrying me.”

“Oh, I see, I didn’t know mom's family had disowned her, I just figured they didn’t talk to us because they were not the type.”

“Well there is a lot you don’t know about me and your mothers past, but that is a talk for a different time.” 

They walked for a long time without speaking, both deep in their own thoughts.They reached the end of the hall and turned to a large wood door with red numbers on it that read 1331. Eric Knocked on the door and waited for a response. After a short pause a voice from behind the door called out. “Come in.”